ezbass

I remember the first time I heard Danny play on something and was struck by the fantastic tone emanating from the stereo. It was David Sylvian’s Ink in the Well. That was back in the mid ‘80s and still no one else has come close to having a tone that good to my ears. We were blessed to have had him and are bereft now that he has gone. However, we’ll always have that tone on a recording somewhere. RIP, Danny, we’ll not likely see your kind again.

Oh Daddy - Fleetwood Mac

Horse McDonald at Birnam Arts Centre. Just a three piece with Horse, keys and bass. Horse was magnificent, what a voice! Fabulous, amusing story telling between tunes and this to a just small audience of about 60 or so. However, the star of the show for me was Lorna Thomas on bass. I have the unfortunate habit of critiquing live acts and the bass player obviously comes in for extra scrutiny. No negative critique from me last night, just brava, brava, brava! Playing a 5 string Sandberg California of some description, straight into FOH, via her pedalboard, Lorna’s tone, note choice and groove (no percussion remember) were exceptional. I could hear Levin and Palladino in her lines (particularly the former) delivered as if those bass heavyweights were in the room. She was funny too. Thoroughly recommended.

Bloc Farty

Nine Inch Fails

I got a warning that it might include offensive content and did I want to continue - I did and I’ve no idea what was offensive about it. Not the best demo (what little demo there was) as there was too much distortion and the rest was just stills to music. I skipped a fair bit, so I might have missed something, but this bass is not for me. It is, from what I could tell and as we had already worked out, a short scale bass on a full sized body and neck. Shame, it could’ve so much more (or do I mean less? ).

I’ve played that venue. It was rather good IIRC.

Running on Empty - Jackson Browne

How to produce a short scale version of a classic design without the need to retool. Actually, quite smart thinking from a business perspective. However, I suspect that there will be little, or no weight saving over the full scale versions, which has always been my problem with all maple Rics. The upside is that they shouldn’t look tiny on those with larger frames. In short (no pun intended), I’d like to try one.

Go Wild in the Country - Bow Wow Wow

Meet Me On The Corner - Lindisfarne

Copperhead Road - Steve Earle

Mercy Street - Peter Gabriel

I stripped the whole neck and left a curve for the headstock transition and it looked OKish. I saw another owner’s attempt, where the black started as a point behind the nut and flared out to the full black headstock, which looked much better. I think stripping the back of headstock would have been the best solution. Mine was beast, weight-wise, but marvellously balanced.

The problem was that it wasn’t gloss, it was matt, made glossy by playing, which in turn made them sticky. I never regretted stripping mine, it felt and played so much better.

White Lines - Duran Duran

Burns did the folded over headstock thing, but not that body shape. Looks short scale too, to my eye.

Get Down - Gilbert O’Sullivan

Danny’s highlighting of the Giaccamo Turra debacle went way beyond the bass community.

Paul McCartney and Wangs

Nightbirds - Shakatak

Bite The Hand That Feeds - Paul Young